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

Word bank: bowl · swing · fork · shower · cap · pitch

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. swing — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a hat
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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