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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 120 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: fine · rash · rule · dip · bat · pitch · shower · bark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fine — high quality

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