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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: land · shower · pop · wake · mouse · face · pitch · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. land — to come down
  17. shower — rain
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — completely

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