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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
468
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: shower · fork · board · perch · calf · tube · ball · bulb

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. calf — of the leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — the fish
  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