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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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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: stick · shower · bay · fine · pass · bulb · deal · pound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — for light

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