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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 120 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 · bass · suit · bark · ball · net · dip · rush

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — rain
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — low music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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