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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: pop · patient · row · ball · tube · leaves · shower · game

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. shower — rain
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pop — soda
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — a match
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — in a tire

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