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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · bark · shower · mark · rush · mug · temple · game

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mug — a face
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a cup
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — a trace
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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