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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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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: pass · band · shower · drill · pitcher · cell · pit · fall

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — a hole
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a ring
  24. cell — a phone

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