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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: shower · safe · bowl · racket · cap · land · jam · lie

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lie — to recline
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. land — to come down
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — ground
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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