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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: stick · shower · fork · court · tube · mark · scale · lash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. court — of law
  3. tube — the underground
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. court — for sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — of a king
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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