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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · shower · rest · board · pop · kid · game · mark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. game — a match
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. board — a committee
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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