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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 · track · firm · net · scale · shower · pop · deal

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — decided
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pop — soda
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — a song
  18. net — in sport
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. scale — for weighing

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