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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: court · jam · perch · toast · cabinet · can · bound · mouse

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bound — tied together

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