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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: cell · date · club · jam · pitcher · pitch · hand · shower

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — completely
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. date — the fruit
  9. shower — rain
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — help
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. club — for dancing

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