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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: drill · sharp · court · pass · stand · firm · row · content

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a line
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stand — to bear
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. firm — a company
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. court — of a king
  23. firm — decided
  24. stand — for spectators

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