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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · jam · wax · shower · stand · club · bowl · cap

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. club — for golf
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. club — for dancing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — a match
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. club — a group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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