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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 116 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: snap · shower · bowl · straw · fine · ball · fork · bulb

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a great time
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bowl — a football final

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