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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bowl · bark · track · nail · content · net · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — to keep track
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — a path
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — happy
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bowl — to roll

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