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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — a group
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a dance
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — to drop
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — the season
  23. club — for golf
  24. shower — rain

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