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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
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: staff · ground · bay · court · arm · coach · sharp · stick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — a position
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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