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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: deal · dip · foot · snap · sharp · bass · charge · squash

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — a measure
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — the sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. squash — to crush
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. dip — to sink
  18. snap — to click
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — clever
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — in control

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