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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 · object · mouse · foot · saw · bore · shower · track

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — a path
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — for a computer

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