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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: press · shower · sharp · can · tear · racket · pitcher · coach

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tear — from crying
  17. shower — to wash
  18. press — a publisher
  19. shower — rain
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — to rip
  24. sharp — with an edge

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