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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 116 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: deal · band · mouse · bass · wake · chip · game · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — wild animals
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a ring
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — in a computer

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