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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: rash · fan · hand · pitch · ruler · toast · shower · ground

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. hand — help
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — a position

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