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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: rule · pit · spell · current · bowl · pitch · shower · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — letters

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