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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: rock · shower · branch · row · date · tube · patient · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. row — a line
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — to paddle
  18. date — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tube — the underground

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