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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 116 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: deal · bulb · object · kid · ball · shower · cap · pass

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. object — a thing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cap — of ice
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ball — a dance
  13. object — to protest
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — an aim
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — to handle
  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