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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 120 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: foot · hide · shower · ruler · pitch · bass · coach · row

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bass — the fish
  17. row — to paddle
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. row — a line
  24. ruler — a monarch

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