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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pitch — completely
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — to wash

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