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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 116 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
468
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: chair · stand · court · hide · sharp · bay · coach · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — for sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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