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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: current · bear · ball · kid · pitch · shower · key · cell

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — child
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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