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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: shower · pitch · hide · foot · mate · spring · bowl · mark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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