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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — a container
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — low music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. craft — boats
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — all right

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