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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spring — of water
  14. lean — to bend
  15. deal — to handle
  16. band — a music group
  17. spring — a coil
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — for betting

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