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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: scale · sharp · fork · court · rest · swing · stand · mug

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. sharp — clever
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — in music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. court — of law
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — of a king

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