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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a grade
  5. club — a group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — for dancing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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