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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 120 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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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: fall · craft · snap · key · pit · bass · sharp · foot

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. snap — to click
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — the bottom

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