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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — a position
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. shower — rain
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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