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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — final
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — a dish

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