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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 · lie · firm · court · bass · ground · pass · squash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — the fish
  6. court — for sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the sport
  10. firm — a company
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — to crush
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — low music

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