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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · key · sharp · court · tear · field · mouse · stand

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. key — the most important part
  8. field — for sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tear — from crying
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — for a lock
  17. court — of a king
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — farmland
  21. court — of law
  22. field — a subject
  23. court — for sport
  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