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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: shower · firm · fine · ball · present · cell · leaves · bass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. firm — decided
  4. present — a gift
  5. shower — rain
  6. fine — high quality
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — steady
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fine — all right

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