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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: sharp · toast · saw · court · firm · lie · deal · track

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — steady
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — a company
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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