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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 120 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: can · content · bowl · racket · rule · shower · safe · stick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — government
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — a loud noise

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