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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · drill · can · mine · shower · wake · cap · pitch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. drill — the tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — army training
  7. toast — bread
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — to be able to
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a lid

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