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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · bowl · bark · field · key · scale · calf · shower

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — rain
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — a subject
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — in music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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