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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fine — high quality
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fine — all right
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — size or range
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pop — to visit
  24. scale — in music

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