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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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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: charge · shower · ruler · coach · net · cell · pound · kick

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — to wash
  9. kick — in football
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — for catching
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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