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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: suit · present · shower · pitch · trunk · squash · ball · cell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. suit — in cards
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitch — completely
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. present — a gift
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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