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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · ball · shower · rest · branch · perch · rush · capital

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — to wash
  4. capital — money
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pound — a weight
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — to hit hard

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