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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: kid · sharp · row · jam · perch · mark · bass · wave

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — the fish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. row — a line
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bass — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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