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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 116 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: firm · mine · ruler · shower · can · cabinet · pitcher · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. firm — steady
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — decided
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — a company
  22. mine — for digging
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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