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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 116 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: stand · bass · shower · land · rock · dip · rash · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — the fish
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — to come down
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — a series
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — for dancing

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