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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bass — the fish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bass — low music
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. club — a group

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