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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 116 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: shower · board · dip · bat · deal · rock

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — rain
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bat — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a committee
  18. deal — an agreement

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