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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 · mark · shower · rush · club · jam · chair · sharp

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. chair — a leader
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — a line
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. sharp — clever

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