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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — for dancing
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — clever
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a trace
  24. date — on the calendar

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