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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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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: board · chest · ruler · pitch · shower · staff

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — rain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitch — completely

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