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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: current · hide · pit · suit · shower · spring · pitcher · pop

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. current — happening now
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — of water

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