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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: fork · safe · row · pound · sharp · arm · cabinet · court

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. court — of a king
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — for sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — to eat with

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