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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: tear · game · coach · race · sharp · mug · bowl · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a match
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — humankind
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. tear — to rip
  24. race — a contest

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