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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: pitcher · can · shower · bark · vault · hand

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — rain
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — to wash

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