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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.

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: can · key · fall · court · sharp · degree · leaves · race

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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 law
  3. degree — temperature
  4. court — for sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of a king
  16. degree — an amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — the season
  19. race — a contest
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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