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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
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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: coach · rush · chip · bowl · row · shower · pitch · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — a sports field

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