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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: mouse · dip · fine · current · shower · kid · vault · pitcher

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kid — child
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — happening now

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