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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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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 · pit · field · tube · fork · pitch · suit · lash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — a container
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — in a road
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tube — the underground
  24. suit — in cards

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