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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: wake · shower · pitcher · swing · spell · object · pound · pit

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — in a race
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — for dogs

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