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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 · bark · bowl · bank · staff · object · chair · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — rain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a leader
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — a dish

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