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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · fall · racket · shower · pound · fine · mug · dip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — a cup
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a face
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to dunk

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