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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — tied together
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. bore — to tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bore — to drill
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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