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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: pitcher · ruler · deal · chest · press · shower

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. press — newspapers
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — rain

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