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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: spell · shower · jam · wind · safe · pitch · drill · key

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — a short time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — army training
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — completely
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — to wash
  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