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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · shower · chair · mark · bass · club · land · firm

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. firm — a company
  4. bass — low music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. firm — decided
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. land — ground
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — steady
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mark — a grade

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