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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: stand · sharp · court · hand · rock · row · lie · date

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — to bear
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. court — for sport
  11. row — a line
  12. rock — a stone
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hand — help
  23. sharp — clever
  24. date — on the calendar

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