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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: pitch · shower · bowl · file · pound · pit · spring · temple

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — of water
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — rain
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — to wash

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