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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — soda
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — an aim
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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