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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.

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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: nail · pitch · shower · swing · bank · rush · bore · track

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — of a river
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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