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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: pitcher · cold · cabinet · bowl · shower · stick · pass · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — rain
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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