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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: charge · stick · pitch · pop · wave · shower · squash · fork

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pop — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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