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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
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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: shower · firm · tube · pitcher · mug · pop · mouse · perch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — a company
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. shower — rain
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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