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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: roll · shower · season · firm · prune · charge · leaves · court

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. roll — a cake
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — a company
  6. court — of a king
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — steady
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — electricity
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — in control
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — of law
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — on a roll

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