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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · pitcher · shower · spell · mate · track · bass · club

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. club — a group
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. track — a song
  7. mate — a partner
  8. club — for golf
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — an aim
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — a thing
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the fish
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — rain
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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