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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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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 · toast · cell · mouse · pass · club · shower · roll

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. toast — bread
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. club — for golf

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