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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: wake · suit · bore · scale · racket · mate · cap · sharp

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — to drill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a hat
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to tire

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