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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 116 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 · bore · fine · bark · court · board · can · fall

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fine — a penalty

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