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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: cap · coach · pitcher · cell · shower · board · racket · wave

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — to get on
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — a flat piece

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