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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: shower · cabinet · ball · mug · fork · mark · last · band

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. last — final
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a grade
  22. band — a ring
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mug — to rob

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