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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 · bound · toast · season · present · pit · roll · pitcher

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — there
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a hole
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — tied together

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