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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: pitcher · roll · net · rash · shower · scale · can · pass

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — to be able to
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — hasty
  19. net — for catching
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a list
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to succeed

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