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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — to wash
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a great time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. land — to come down
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. band — a ring

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