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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 120 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: track · pass · lean · scale · sharp · court · band · suit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a ring
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pass — a permit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a music group
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. suit — clothes
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — to bend
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — of a king

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