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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: lie · pitch · ball · pitcher · rock · ground · shower · date

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — a position
  10. ball — a dance
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — a jug

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