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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: fine · court · sharp · fan · mug · hand · wave · firm

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — a company
  4. court — for sport
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. firm — decided
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — all right
  17. firm — steady
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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