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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: saw · shower · pitcher · rash · march · object · stand · track

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — a series
  9. march — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — hasty
  14. object — an aim
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — to keep track
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — to bear
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — on the skin

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