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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. band — a music group
  9. pit — in a race
  10. band — a ring
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pit — a hole

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