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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · shower · cabinet · season · tear · charge · pit · mate

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — in sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pit — in a race
  10. charge — electricity
  11. shower — to wash
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitcher — a jug

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