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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: race · mouse · sharp · snap · bear · mine · stock · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — low music
  18. race — a contest
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — the arms race
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mine — belonging to me

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