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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: bear · wound · deal · fine · bass · craft · sharp · jam

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bear — the animal

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