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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · charge · shower · court · fan · kick

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — for sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. shower — rain
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a great time

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