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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — high quality
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. board — to get on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. firm — a company
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — happy
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — the amount
  15. sharp — clever
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — to succeed

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