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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. band — a ring

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