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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — in sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — after costs
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — to add flavour

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