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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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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: mouse · jam · ground · rush · shower · ruler · bank · pop

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. ground — a position
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — to wash

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