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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · can · mug · pitcher · kick · chair · swing

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — a face
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. swing — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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