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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: sharp · current · scale · shower · pit · bass · fall · coach

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — electric
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fall — to drop
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — low music
  23. current — happening now
  24. sharp — clever

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