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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · prune · rock · bass · sharp · present · bear

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — a stone
  24. land — to come down

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