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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — a contest
  3. mug — a face
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — to rob
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. shower — to wash
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. scale — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — rain
  24. nail — on a finger

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