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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: pop · stem · pitcher · ball · cabinet · present · shower · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. shower — to wash
  11. present — there
  12. pop — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — a gift
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — a country
  21. shower — rain
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — ground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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