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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 · cabinet · tube · court · object · date · rock · rash

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tube — a container
  3. object — to protest
  4. court — of law
  5. date — the fruit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — an aim
  14. rock — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. court — of a king
  17. rash — a series
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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