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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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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: toast · bark · stand · deal · cap · bound · court · snap

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. court — of law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cap — a hat
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. toast — bread
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — for sport

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