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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — help
  4. sharp — clever
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. hand — in cards
  10. firm — a company
  11. bank — of a river
  12. firm — steady
  13. pass — a permit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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