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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · straw · bowl · shower · game · vault

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — a match
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a great time
  17. vault — a safe
  18. game — a kind of play

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