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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 116 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 · snap · rush · club · fork · wind · can

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to click
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. club — for golf
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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