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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: land · toast · straw · pitcher · bowl · mug · shower · foot

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. land — to come down
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a cup
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — a straw man

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