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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: bass · sharp · pitch · file · cabinet · date · fan · dip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitch — completely
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — a sauce

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