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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: coach · sharp · hide · court · row · chair · mine · object

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — clever
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — for digging
  16. court — for sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. chair — a leader
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. row — to paddle

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