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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: shower · charge · ball · can · swing · jam · tube · season

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — in sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — in golf
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — of the year
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. swing — to play on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. shower — rain
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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