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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: racket · toast · mark · cell · sharp · mate · bank · leaves

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cell — a phone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. sharp — clever
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a friend

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