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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: shower · press · pitch · perch · wound · calf · chest · racket

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. press — newspapers
  3. shower — rain
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — to push
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chest — a box
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. press — a publisher
  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