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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: craft · mark · charge · chip · shower · pitcher · bark · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. charge — a price
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — to eat
  17. shower — rain
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — to pay attention

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