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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: bowl · key · fine · mate · shower · rush · chip · stem

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — a partner
  3. key — for a lock
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — rain
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. key — the most important part

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