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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 120 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: wake · court · leaves · safe · tube · rule · shower · pitch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of law
  12. rule — a law
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — government
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of a king

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