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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. sharp — clever
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — a city
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rule — government
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. capital — money
  18. board — to get on
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — for tennis

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