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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: track · temple · pitch · charge · deal · racket · degree · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — a price
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a song
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitch — a sports field

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