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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: band · jam · mine · pitch · lean · fall · shower · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. band — a ring
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fall — the season
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — to wash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a music group

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