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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: bowl · race · bear · lean · shower · bore · object · pitch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — to protest
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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