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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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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — a company
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — child

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