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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: sharp · lean · mug · bulb · file · board · bass · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mug — a face
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the fish
  24. file — a tool

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