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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 · pound · fork · shower · key · lean · rule · bat

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — rain
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — thin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — in music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to bend

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