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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. court — of a king
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of law
  9. fine — all right
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. sharp — clever
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — the earth
  24. branch — a division

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