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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 120 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: wave · clip · sharp · racket · stick · pitcher · fine · season

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — to cut
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. clip — for paper

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