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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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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: dip · field · bound · pitcher · bank · net · suit · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bound — certain
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — obliged
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — a subject
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. suit — to fit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. suit — in cards

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