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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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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 · board · stem · bat · safe · pitcher · pop · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — rain
  5. pop — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. board — a committee

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