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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · pound · stand · dip · sharp · bay · date · court

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — for sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. dip — to sink
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. court — of law

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