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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: pitcher · mug · ball · rush · season · board · chip · shower

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — to wash

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