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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: land · pitcher · prune · toast · charge · mug · shower · fan

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — rain
  9. mug — a face
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. toast — bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — the most admired

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