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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — size or range
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — a permit

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