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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.

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: mine · sharp · dip · pitch · straw · bass · present · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — there
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. dip — to dunk

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