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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: wave · bear · dip · game · shower · content · pop · charge

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. pop — soda
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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