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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: cell · clip · root · sharp · racket · stand · mouse · bass

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bass — the fish
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. root — of a word
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in biology
  23. clip — for paper
  24. sharp — exactly

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