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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 · shower · prune · fine · snap · wake · bowl · bulb

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fine — all right
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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