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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 120 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: coach · bowl · perch · shower · cabinet · cap · mine · pop

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. shower — rain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — music
  24. cap — a hat

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