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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: leaves · pitch · bass · pop · kid · bank · wound · shower

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bass — low music
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. kid — child
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — for money

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