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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — to get on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. sharp — clever
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. press — newspapers
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. court — of law
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pound — for dogs

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