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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: pit · drill · degree · present · bear · pitcher · shower · staff

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — to wash
  15. present — there
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — in a race
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — a gift

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