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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: roll · stick · sharp · deal · wound · court · rock · perch

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. deal — to handle
  3. court — for sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — clever
  7. roll — a list
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — the fish

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