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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 120 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: shower · rock · spell · club · cell · firm · foot · pitch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — a company
  7. club — a group
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — decided
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — for golf
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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