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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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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: band · bound · shower · nail · stand · bowl · wind · pitch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. band — a ring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. shower — rain
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitch — a sports field

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