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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: rush · pitcher · game · fan · pitch · saw · fork · snap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. snap — to click
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — a match

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