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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. scale — in music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — electric
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. shower — to wash
  24. 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