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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mug — a face
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. court — for sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — help
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. court — of a king

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