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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: trunk · shower · pitcher · bulb · bear · spell · ruler · content

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — the amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — a short time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — happy
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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