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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — soda
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. shower — rain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — to wash
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a handicraft

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