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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: mark · chest · pitch · board · drill · racket · shower · rush

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. shower — rain
  3. chest — a box
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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