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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: pit · sharp · bass · chest · nail · rush · jam · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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