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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: roll · ball · shower · rush · racket · chest · branch · pitch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chest — of your body

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