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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: shower · bulb · mouse · bound · pitcher · bay · wound · firm

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bound — certain
  12. shower — rain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. firm — decided
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. firm — a company

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