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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: bat · wind · stick · toast · pitcher · craft · shower · spell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — magic
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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