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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · bowl · field · arm · shower · rash · rock · object

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. field — a subject
  9. object — an aim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rock — music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for dancing
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. field — farmland
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — for sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. club — a group
  23. rash — a series
  24. shower — rain

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