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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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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: date · pit · fine · jam · sharp · charge · key · land

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — in a race
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pit — a hole
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. key — for a lock
  20. land — ground
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — exactly
  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