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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — a weight
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. charge — in control
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. branch — a division

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