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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — humankind
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — for betting
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — a contest
  24. date — the fruit

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