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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: pitcher · bank · ball · staff · band · shower · squash · lean

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — to wash

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