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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.

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: squash · craft · coach · mouse · sharp · bass · scale · net

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — clever

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