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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 · band · track · bowl · stick · object · perch · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — to protest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — the fish
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — rain
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — a thing
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a ring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a music group

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