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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: hand · pass · bass · dip · perch · sharp · current · chair

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — happening now
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — in cards
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chair — a professorship

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