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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: bound · bay · sharp · fall · ball · date · racket · dip

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — the season
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bound — obliged
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to sink

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