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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: cabinet · race · board · dip · rule · tube · shower · pitcher

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — the underground
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a committee
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — to get on
  22. rule — a law
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — ministers

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