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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: pit · branch · pitcher · bowl · bass · deal · hand · shower

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — help
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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