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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: staff · rock · swing · ball · fan · net · shower · race

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. net — in sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — a contest
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rock — music

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