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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: board · bass · scale · mouse · date · lash · sharp · mug

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — to get on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — low music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — in music

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