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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: clip · suit · fine · content · sharp · bass · fan · root

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. suit — clothes
  8. root — the cause
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bass — the fish
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — happy
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — high quality
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — the amount
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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