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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: saw · deal · sharp · drill · bound · march · court · rest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. drill — the tool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. march — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. court — for sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. drill — army training
  23. march — the month
  24. saw — the tool

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