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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: swing · pitch · cabinet · temple · pit · stand · wound · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — rain
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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