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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: cabinet · bass · coach · shower · rock · can · safe · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. shower — rain
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — the fish
  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