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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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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: kick · shower · club · ruler · bear · bass · key · cap

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — rain
  24. bear — the animal

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