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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: craft · deal · hide · fan · bass · bore · sharp · court

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — boats
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of a king
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. court — of law
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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