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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: shower · deal · club · bowl · chip · mark · pop · dip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — to wash
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mark — a grade

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