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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: ruler · season · pitch · shower · hand · bay · rush · jam

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. shower — to wash
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — of the year
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitch — completely

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