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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for dancing
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bass — the fish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — a group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — a tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. date — the fruit
  24. sharp — exactly

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