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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 · file · cue · saw · bass · row · pitcher · shower

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. file — a tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — a signal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — to visit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. row — to paddle
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — for pool

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