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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: squash · roll · ball · degree · shower · chair · rock · nail

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a list
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. degree — temperature
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. squash — the sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rock — music
  24. roll — a cake

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