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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: bass · wind · net · leaves · mouse · sharp · fan · bowl

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — after costs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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