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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 120 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: shower · suit · bass · rule · hand · board · object · perch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — government
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — a law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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