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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: bear · nail · pitcher · kick · shower · bowl · deal · court

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — of law

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