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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. shower — rain
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — to wash
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the fish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — boats
  16. cell — in biology
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — music
  24. club — for dancing

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