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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: sharp · fine · ball · drill · net · lie · date · spring

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — the season
  8. drill — army training
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. net — in sport
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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