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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: wound · root · can · saw · shower · stand · club · rock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — to wash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — a group
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rock — music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. root — the cause
  19. club — for golf
  20. root — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a word
  24. can — a tin

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