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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: band · cue · ruler · can · pit · face · net · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. net — for catching
  14. cue — a hint
  15. band — a music group
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a ring
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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