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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: mark · rash · bowl · game · nail · stick · court · shower

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. court — of law
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — of a king
  14. mark — a trace
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — a series
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — rain
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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