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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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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: wake · board · fall · bowl · shower · ruler · rule · pitch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — government
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fall — the season
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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