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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: sharp · arm · season · jam · bowl · track · coach · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — a path
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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