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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: rule · pound · lean · pitcher · wake · shower · bowl · season

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rule — government
  9. shower — rain
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lean — thin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — a weight
  24. season — of the year

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