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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: bulb · scale · roll · shower · net · drill · board · swing

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — to get on
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. net — after costs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. shower — to wash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — to play on
  19. roll — a list
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. swing — music
  22. board — a committee
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. roll — a cake

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