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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: bass · shower · current · suit · rash · pitcher · cap · row

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. row — a line
  5. current — electric
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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