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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 116 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. land — a country
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — rain
  19. land — to come down
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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