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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: bank · date · shower · bass · file · bowl · dip · mark

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — rain
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — low music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bank — of a river
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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