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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: band · wake · mark · shower · club · plane · mug · ground

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for golf
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — the earth
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — rain
  17. ground — a position
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — to wash

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