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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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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: prune · fan · object · shower · bass · mouse · tube · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. pop — soda
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — a thing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. object — to protest
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bass — low music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — music
  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