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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · rest · shower · spell · suit · season · fine · firm

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — a break
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — letters
  15. suit — to fit
  16. season — of the year
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spell — a short time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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