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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · game · plane · leaves · current · shower · charge · ball

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. game — a match
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — of water
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — electricity
  9. current — happening now
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — electric
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — a tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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