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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · court · rush · mug · key · bound · sharp · wake

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — of law
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — a cup
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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