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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: wave · scale · craft · roll · swing · ground · mug · shower

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — music
  10. mug — a face
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mug — to rob
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — a cake
  15. craft — boats
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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