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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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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: toast · stand · mark · jam · cabinet · object · sharp · court

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stand — on your feet

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