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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: fall · staff · stand · date · pit · sharp · fan · racket

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fall — the season
  17. pit — in a race
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — to bear

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