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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: march · sharp · court · nail · foot · safe · wind · mark

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — of a king
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — of law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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