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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: bass · ball · shower · stem · pop · game · board · stand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — the fish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — a committee
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ball — a great time
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pop — to visit
  24. game — a match

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