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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: track · pitch · shower · pit · rest · wave · kid · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — a break
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — to tease
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — to wash

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