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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: chest · bulb · pitcher · race · pass · fan · racket · shower

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. shower — rain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — a permit
  24. racket — for tennis

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