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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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 — with an edge
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. current — of water
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. sharp — clever
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — happening now
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — electric
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. board — to get on
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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