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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · shower · pitcher · last · stick · object · pop · bass

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — to go on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — final
  18. pop — to visit
  19. object — to protest
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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