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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: mark · leaves · shower · pitch · mug · cold · file · suit

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. file — a line of people
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — clothes
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — a cup
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. file — a tool

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