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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. present — the time now
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — there
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. present — a gift
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — a match
  18. kick — in football
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — a football final

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