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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · plane · pitcher · ground · bowl · chip · fan · ball

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ground — a position
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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