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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: row · bass · perch · rock · nail · ground · current · shower

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — rain
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the instrument

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