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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: suit · season · branch · mouse · pitch · bass · race · shower

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. bass — low music
  10. season — of the year
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — the fish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. season — in sport
  24. suit — in cards

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