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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 120 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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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: pit · wave · fall · deal · net · bass · sharp · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — in sport
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pound — to hit hard

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