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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — steady
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — decided
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bound — obliged

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