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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.

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: firm · shower · club · sharp · cell · bass · mark · bowl

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — steady
  7. club — for dancing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a grade
  15. firm — a company
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. shower — rain
  24. bowl — a dish

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