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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
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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: shower · spell · mouse · spring · cap · can · pitch · bound

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — letters
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — rain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. spell — magic
  24. spring — the season

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