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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 120 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: court · track · bat · board · calf · bay · sharp · rock

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a song
  10. court — of law
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. bat — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — a committee

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