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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: pop · game · pit · mate · straw · shower · track · craft

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pop — music
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. shower — to wash

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