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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: game · bore · bank · swing · staff · date · sharp · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. swing — in golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. date — the fruit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — music
  24. sharp — clever

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