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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: date · bowl · shower · track · snap · pit · can · mouse

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. snap — to click
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — to wash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — rain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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