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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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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: bank · board · dip · racket · pop · shower · rush · rash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — a series
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — hasty

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