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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · rest · roll · racket · wake · date · mate · ground

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — clever
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wake — a trail
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ground — a position
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ground — crushed

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