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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: sharp · last · lie · coach · race · track · court · fine

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — humankind
  3. sharp — clever
  4. race — a contest
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — high quality
  9. court — of a king
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. court — of law
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — final
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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