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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: racket · cap · pitch · shower · ruler · chest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cap — of ice
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. shower — rain
  12. chest — of your body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  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