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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
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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: branch · fine · bat · sharp · key · fork · swing · date

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — in music
  6. swing — music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. swing — in golf
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — in a road
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. key — for a lock
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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