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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: charge · content · bowl · shower · deal · kid · racket · saw

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. charge — a price
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kid — child
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — the amount
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — happy
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — rain
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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