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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: stick · sharp · present · board · mouse · straw · court · calf

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — there
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — for sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — clever
  24. court — of law

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