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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: shower · pit · charge · present · bass · deal · capital · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — to handle
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — a city
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pop — soda
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — to visit

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