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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 · rock · shower · board · sharp · mark · bear · club

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. board — a committee
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — to get on

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