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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — in control
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — music
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pound — a weight
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bass — low music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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