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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. bank — of a river
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. net — for catching

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