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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: ball · nail · scale · bore · shower · pop · sharp · fan

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — soda
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — size or range

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