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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: season · sharp · date · roll · racket · vault · wave · swing

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. roll — a list
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — in golf
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a cake

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