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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a skill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. capital — a city
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — money
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — boats
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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