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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: pitcher · temple · net · bowl · shower · date · ball · wave

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a round shape

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