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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: shower · mark · dip · lash · march · charge · pitch · swing

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — rain
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — a sauce

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