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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mate — a partner
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — after costs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — a group
  24. net — for catching

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