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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: kick · firm · snap · bowl · key · shower · coach · pop

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. shower — rain
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — to visit
  16. firm — a company
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kick — in football
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. shower — to wash
  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