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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 116 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: band · stem · key · bore · cap · cabinet · shower · pitcher

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. shower — rain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. band — a music group
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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