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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: track · pass · shower · board · key · fan · pitch · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. key — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitch — completely
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. board — to get on

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