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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. shower — rain
  3. capital — money
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. capital — a city
  24. lean — to rest against

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