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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 116 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: land · shower · mouse · bass · can · mine · deal · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — in sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. shower — to wash
  24. land — ground

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