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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: land · firm · jam · rash · bass · ground · cabinet · sharp

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — ground
  21. ground — the earth
  22. land — to come down
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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