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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: spell · shower · net · ball · deal · kick · rock · prune

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — in sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kick — in football
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a great time
  8. net — for catching
  9. shower — rain
  10. spell — a short time
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spell — magic
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. deal — a big deal

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