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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 · court · bank · board · ball · date · foot · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — to wash
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of law
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a dance

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