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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: can · shower · trunk · coach · land · pound · bass · ball

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — a weight
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — low music
  7. shower — rain
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. land — ground
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — a country
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — to come down
  24. pound — to hit hard

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