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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: game · bat · plane · fan · pitcher · tube · shower · jam

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — wild animals
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bat — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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