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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 · arm · stick · plane · kid · fine · date · court

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. date — the fruit
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — child
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — of a king
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — of law
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — for sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — high quality
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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