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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: bank · ground · swing · dip · suit · season · date · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. swing — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. suit — clothes
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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