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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — to get on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — an untruth

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