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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: fine · sharp · bass · patient · lean · mug · ground · file

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. file — a document
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — all right
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bass — low music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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