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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: stem · ball · shower · pit · pass · fine · hide · pound

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pass — to spend time

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