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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: cap · bowl · suit · dip · mouse · shower · bound · swing

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — rain
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. shower — to wash

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