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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: leaves · bass · key · perch · shower · stand · mate · pound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — rain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bass — the fish
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bass — low music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mate — a friend

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