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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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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: deal · trunk · charge · present · bass · can · shower · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. deal — to handle
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — to be able to
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — ground
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. land — to come down
  14. charge — a price
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. shower — rain
  24. bass — the fish

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