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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — a stick
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mate — a partner
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. band — a ring

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