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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
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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: ball · rock · branch · mouse · shower · court · pitch · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. court — of law
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. court — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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