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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 120 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: cabinet · deal · bark · bass · present · mate · sharp · straw

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — low music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — a friend
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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