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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 116 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: shower · object · pitcher · dip · stand · bat · can · content

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. object — a thing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — the amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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