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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. deal — to handle
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bass — the fish

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