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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: stand · racket · land · pitcher · lash · shower · scale · bear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. land — a country
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. land — ground

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