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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: hand · mate · suit · content · bass · sharp · fork · cue

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — happy
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hand — help
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. suit — in cards
  18. content — the amount
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — clothes

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