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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: club · bass · shower · ball · prune · rock · track · land

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. land — ground
  19. track — a song
  20. land — to come down
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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