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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 120 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: bowl · safe · pound · degree · charge · pitcher · shower · leaves

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — in control
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — to 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