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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.

Make a worksheet

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: shower · firm · cabinet · pop · game · can · bass · squash

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. firm — a company
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — decided
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — a match
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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