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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: current · pit · march · shower · ruler · rush · pound · pitch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — of water
  4. march — the month
  5. pound — a weight
  6. march — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitch — completely
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — rain
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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