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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: sharp · race · wave · date · content · net · bay · board

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. content — happy
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — in sport
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — after costs
  10. race — humankind
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — the arms race
  13. net — for catching
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. date — the fruit

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