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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.

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: cell · bowl · leaves · mark · deal · sharp · bass · game

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — low music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — to go away

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