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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: stem · present · ball · shower · bass · ruler · stand · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. shower — to wash
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a great time
  23. shower — rain
  24. stem — of a plant

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