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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — a break
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. sharp — clever
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — electric
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — happening now
  22. date — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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