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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: cap · pitch · pop · swing · rush · shower · pit · bay

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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