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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: kick · court · fine · toast · mark · bound · date · perch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. bound — certain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — bread
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — obliged
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. date — the fruit
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — of law
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — in football
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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