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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: hand · shower · cabinet · chair · staff · bear · rock · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. shower — to wash
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hand — in cards

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