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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · band · mug · pitcher · can · sharp · bass · fine

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. content — happy
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a face
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a ring
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a music group
  13. mug — a cup
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. content — the amount
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a rubber band

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