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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — of a river
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — clever
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a great time
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a dance
  20. date — the fruit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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