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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 120 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: arm · tear · current · shower · club · saw · game · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — a match
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — electric
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. tear — to rip
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. club — for dancing
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — for golf
  24. arm — part of the body

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