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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: bay · content · shower · scale · pitcher · lean · staff · club

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. shower — to wash
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. content — the amount
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — a group

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