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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — rain
  13. scale — size or range
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — an injury
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — a series

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