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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: file · sharp · pitcher · pop · racket · bulb · saw · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — to wash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. file — a line of people
  24. shower — rain

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