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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: branch · lie · fine · date · racket · sharp · degree · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — all right
  9. degree — from a university
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — a division
  14. degree — an amount
  15. date — the fruit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — to breed

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