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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: net · mug · shower · board · ruler · field · saw · pit

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. field — farmland
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. board — to get on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. net — after costs

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