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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 116 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: tube · pitcher · staff · degree · ground · rush · rock · shower

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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