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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: content · shower · present · board · pitcher · pit · band · pitch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. present — a gift
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a ring

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