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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 116 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: tear · bass · swing · net · ground · firm · calf · shower

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — to play on
  9. net — after costs
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. swing — music
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — in golf
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — the earth
  19. shower — rain
  20. net — for catching
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young 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