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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: stand · pitcher · hide · ground · object · fork · shower · bass

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. object — an aim
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — rain
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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