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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: cap · sharp · wound · mate · bear · bass · row · cue

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — a lid
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — a line

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