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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 · fall · swing · toast · charge · band · shower · rash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. swing — music
  4. band — a music group
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fall — to drop
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. swing — in golf
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a ring
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rash — on the skin

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