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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 116 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: file · mate · shower · coach · ground · suit · pitch · cabinet

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — clothes
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a document
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a tool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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