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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.

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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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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: deal · ball · shower · fall · dip · race · bound · scale

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — humankind
  3. scale — size or range
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — the season
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — to drop

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