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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: kick · bear · shower · bore · rock · vault · pitcher · chip

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — a stone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — in football
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — to drill

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