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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — the fish
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — rain
  11. bass — low music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a ring
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. track — a song
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bass — the instrument

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