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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: bass · pitcher · shower · chip · bore · rule · lash · charge

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — to drill
  3. shower — rain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to tire
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — low music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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