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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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 — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — to wash
  23. prune — to trim
  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