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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: mark · shower · object · pound · pitcher · bat · bay · clip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitcher — a jug

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