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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: bound · shower · charge · date · pop · current · wound · racket

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — certain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — rain
  9. date — the fruit
  10. charge — a price
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — of water
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — in control

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