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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.

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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: dip · bass · pitcher · sharp · jam · wave · bear · fan

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — low music

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