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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · bowl · craft · pitch · pitcher · hide · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — a hat
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. cap — a lid
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — of ice
  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