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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — to keep track
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. shower — to wash
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a song
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitch — completely
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — a path
  24. pitch — a sports field

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