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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: toast · date · court · bay · rest · mouse · season · bound

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. court — of law
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of a king
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — certain
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rest — a break
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. season — of the year
  24. date — the fruit

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