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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: mug · court · bay · bass · can · racket · sharp · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — exactly

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