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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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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: firm · bound · deal · tear · press · sharp · craft · court

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. press — to push
  3. craft — a skill
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tear — to rip
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — boats
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — steady
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. press — newspapers
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — decided
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — for sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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