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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 · date · tear · mate · rule · dip · ball · court

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ball — a dance
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. tear — to rip
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — the fruit
  14. court — for sport
  15. rule — government
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tear — from crying

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