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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: court · pitch · straw · charge · dip · shower · mark · scale

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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 — in control
  2. pitch — completely
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. shower — rain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — to sink
  19. court — of law
  20. scale — size or range
  21. court — for sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — in music
  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