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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: sharp · mine · racket · bat · bound · dip · staff · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — certain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bat — for baseball

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