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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: kick · sharp · board · court · fan · object · pit · degree

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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. kick — with a leg
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pit — in a race
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — a thing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. kick — in football
  24. degree — temperature

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