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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 · object · season · fan · fork · coach · foot · drill

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — a thing
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — a measure
  12. object — to protest
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. drill — 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