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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
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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: shower · sharp · land · fine · present · deal · bass · pop

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — a country
  7. present — the time now
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — soda
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pop — to visit
  22. shower — rain
  23. land — to come down
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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