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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.

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: fine · game · mate · coach · sharp · prune · rash · pass

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — clever
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — a permit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — exactly

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