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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: leaves · pitch · shower · bank · degree · kick

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bank — of a river
  18. leaves — of a tree

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