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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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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: pitch · pop · pass · shower · coach · rest · stand · pound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — to hit hard

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