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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · pitch · chair · bowl · shower · current

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. shower — rain
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — happening now
  18. chair — a professorship

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