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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: pound · pitcher · pitch · fan · shower · lean · wake · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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