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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: game · swing · pass · root · shower · can · spell · club

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — a match
  3. can — to be able to
  4. swing — to play on
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. club — a group
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — in golf
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — to succeed

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