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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — of a king
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. court — for sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — of law
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chip — for betting

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