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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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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: cap · pitcher · pit · rush · rock · shower · craft · drill

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — army training
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — a practice
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rock — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — a hole
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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