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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: pound · sharp · bass · current · date · calf · pitch · net

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bass — the fish
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — clever
  24. current — of water

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