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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 120 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: shower · tube · pitcher · cabinet · bulb · arm · racket · drill

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — a container
  21. drill — army training
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — to wash

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