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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: ground · bowl · pitcher · board · chest · shower · current · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — rain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chest — a box
  14. current — electric
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cabinet — ministers

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