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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: court · rash · toast · mate · roll · firm · shower · can

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — rain
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — hasty
  6. shower — to wash
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. court — of law
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. firm — steady
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — a company
  24. toast — the most admired

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