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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — a group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. season — in sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. face — to confront
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — a supporter
  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