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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: bay · last · sharp · pop · bass · suit · clip · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. last — final
  6. sharp — clever
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. present — a gift
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bass — low music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. present — the time now

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