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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — in music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — rain

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