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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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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: bass · suit · kick · deal · pitch · chest · shower · bank

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — to wash
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. shower — rain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chest — a box
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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