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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: sharp · bat · deal · dip · rule · bass · pound · wave

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — clever
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — a law
  24. sharp — with an edge

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