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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · suit · date · ground · bay · fine · cold · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — the fruit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — a position
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — in cards
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com