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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: deal · pitcher · pop · shower · charge · vault · face · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a plant
  10. shower — rain
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — of a word
  13. face — to confront
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — soda
  24. shower — to wash

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