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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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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: kick · bowl · shower · pop · club · deal · stick · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — a group
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — in football
  13. pop — to visit
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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