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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: pitcher · pass · shower · bark · rash · jam · wound · suit

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — hasty
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. shower — rain
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — in cards

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