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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 120 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 · board · shower · cap · bear · file · pound · content

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. content — the amount
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — rain
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. shower — to wash

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