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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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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: kick · rock · shower · mark · club · band · bass · rule

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rock — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — government
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — a law
  22. band — a ring
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — rain

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