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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 · coach · court · arm · degree · bulb · bear · staff

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. degree — temperature
  4. court — of a king
  5. degree — an amount
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — for sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. staff — a stick
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bulb — for light

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