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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a great time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — the fruit
  17. last — final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a dance
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — a company
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — a loud noise

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