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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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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: march · stick · bowl · firm · wave · fork · shower · pit

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. firm — a company
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — music
  16. firm — steady
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — decided

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