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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: branch · shower · calf · suit · capital · squash · pitcher · rock

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. branch — of a bank

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