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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: game · ball · bark · stand · shower · bulb · leaves · pitcher

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — rain
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — a jug

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