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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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