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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.

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 · lean · degree · board · pitcher · pitch · bear · wave

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. shower — rain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — to get on
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. board — a committee

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