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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: foot · bowl · sharp · drill · ruler · shower · band · pitch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. band — a ring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — army training
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — completely
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — a practice
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitch — a sports field

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