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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: temple · shower · swing · bay · pitcher · pitch · lean · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitch — completely
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — a signal
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — to wash
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. cue — for pool
  24. swing — to play on

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