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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. net — for catching
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — of a river
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — a trainer

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