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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · deal · hide · sharp · fork · rash · wake · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of a king
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — in a road
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — of law
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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