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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · sharp · bass · chest · bowl · land · jam · fork

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — a box
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bass — low music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — a country
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. land — ground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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