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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 120 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: bass · sharp · shower · object · stem · board · mug · fine

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mug — to rob
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. object — a thing
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — a face
  13. shower — rain
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fine — high quality
  19. object — to protest
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — an aim
  23. board — to get on
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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