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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. date — the fruit
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — clever
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — for catching

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