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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.

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: fan · bark · bass · pitcher · stem · sharp · craft · mate

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stem — to come from
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mate — a friend

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