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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: date · bass · race · saw · sharp · pit · nail · club

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — a contest
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. pit — in a race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. race — the arms race
  21. club — for dancing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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