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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bass — low music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — a monarch

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