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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: fall · fork · pop · board · root · charge · shower · dip

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to sink
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fork — in a road

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