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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 116 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: pitch · object · shower · rash · suit · degree · racket · court

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — to protest
  4. degree — an amount
  5. object — a thing
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — hasty
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — a series

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