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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: pass · ground · craft · land · shower · safe · rock · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ground — crushed
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a great time
  12. land — a country
  13. shower — rain
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pass — a permit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — the earth

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