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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 120 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: bulb · ball · stand · sharp · hide · ruler · season · court

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. court — of law
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — of a king
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stand — to bear
  23. season — to add flavour
  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