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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · pitcher · toast · face · mine · rest · racket · bass

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — what's left

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