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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pop — to visit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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