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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.

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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: rush · band · pitch · patient · row · deal · shower · perch

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. shower — to wash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. deal — an agreement
  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