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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: pop · charge · fork · bass · bowl · sharp · net · plane

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — after costs
  11. fork — in a road
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. charge — electricity

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