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

Word bank: cap · roll · ruler · shower · chair · squash · pit · bowl

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — in a race
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. shower — rain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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