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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — the fruit
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — to recline
  18. sharp — clever

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