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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · pop · spring · shower · coach · bear · ruler · bass

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. shower — rain
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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