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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: sharp · saw · mug · racket · file · bass · foot · wake

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. bass — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — the bottom

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