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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: sharp · roll · scale · firm · court · wave · nail · ground

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — a cake
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — of a king
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. court — for sport
  24. roll — a list

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