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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · jam · fork · file · bass · track · march · stick

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — low music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the fish
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. file — a document
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — clever
  20. track — a song
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. march — music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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