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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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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: pitcher · shower · board · key · wake · row · firm · temple

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. shower — rain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. shower — to wash
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a line
  23. wake — a trail
  24. firm — a company

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