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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: club · sharp · mouse · bowl · shower · cabinet · spring · kid

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kid — child
  17. spring — the season
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — a coil
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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