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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: sharp · safe · foot · bowl · bark · pitch · firm · shower

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — a company
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — steady
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pitch — completely
  12. sharp — clever
  13. firm — decided
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — to wash
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — to shout
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — a sports field

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