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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — child
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cap — of ice
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — government
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rule — a law

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