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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of law
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. court — of a king
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bank — for money

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