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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: ball · rash · shower · pitch · racket · stem · bank · fine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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