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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: bowl · stand · shower · sharp · chip · wave · prune · pit

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — a hole
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pit — in a race
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. prune — to trim

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