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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mug — to rob
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — a cup
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — a face

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