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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: object · bowl · shower · pit · root · mine · cabinet · leaves

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — an aim
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — to protest
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. root — of a plant

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