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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · fan · rush · swing · capital · bass · shower · leaves

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bass — the fish
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — rain
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. capital — a city
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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