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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. season — of the year
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — all right

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