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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: mouse · ground · chest · pitch · mate · suit · cap · shower

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mate — a friend
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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