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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. net — in sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a music group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — rain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — a break

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