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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 · rest · net · bowl · shower · dip · mark · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rest — a break
  6. club — a group
  7. net — in sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. row — a line
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — for catching
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — after costs
  17. shower — rain
  18. club — for golf
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — a trace

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