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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 · jam · wave · court · firm · rule · dip · toast

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. court — for sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. firm — steady
  5. rule — a law
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. toast — bread
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rule — government
  22. court — of a king
  23. firm — a company
  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