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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · row · chair · bay · fan · coach · pitcher · foot

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. shower — rain
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. row — to paddle
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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