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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. file — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a document
  14. pit — in a race
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — a group
  24. bank — for money

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