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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 116 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: can · racket · dip · stem · bass · pound · sharp · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. last — to go on
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — final
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — clever
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — to come from
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. dip — to sink
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — the fish

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