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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.

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 · bass · toast · club · spell · rash · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — a group
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — bread
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — rain
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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