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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.

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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: racket · rash · stick · pitch · chair · shower · rest · bound

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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