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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: rash · bowl · key · shower · deal · sharp · squash · pop

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — the sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — clever

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