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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: swing · shower · pitch · season · key · patient · bowl · hide

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. swing — to play on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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