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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. firm — a company
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — decided
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — certain
  24. coach — a trainer

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