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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 · cap · object · coach · ball · bank · firm · deal

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — steady
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — a hat
  19. firm — a company
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a great time

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