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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: shower · ball · bowl · bear · jam · drill

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — army training
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final

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