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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: leaves · net · mark · shower · bowl · wake · pitcher · pop

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. net — after costs
  24. leaves — to go away

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