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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pop — to visit
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — soda
  24. field — a subject

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