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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · pitch · charge · pitcher · shower · bulb · bass · kick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — in football
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — rain
  24. kick — a thrill

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