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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: kick · shower · bowl · date · pitcher · mug · can · root

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a face
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — the cause
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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