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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: shower · pitch · dip · cue · season · hand · bear · mate

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mate — a friend
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. mate — a partner

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