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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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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: scale · wound · sharp · deal · bear · rock · board · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — in music
  3. rock — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — a stone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — exactly

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