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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. capital — money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a city
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — a company
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tear — from crying
  15. firm — steady
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — to rip
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tear — from crying
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. firm — decided
  24. board — to get on

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