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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: net · bass · sharp · cap · rash · temple · bark · fine

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — low music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fine — high quality
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rash — hasty

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