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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · stand · prune · sharp · bay · cell · bass · snap

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. current — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to click
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — to bear
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  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