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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: toast · bear · court · rush · pound · sharp · chair · stem

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. court — of law
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chair — a leader
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stem — a stem cell

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