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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 · rush · leaves · spell · date · shower · content · arm

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — completely
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — hurry

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