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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 116 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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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: shower · rest · pitcher · pitch · fork · pass · content · squash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pass — a permit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — the amount
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rest — a break
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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