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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: fine · sharp · court · bear · lean · scale · row · coach

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — of a king
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fine — all right
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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