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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fan — a supporter

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