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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: bat · bass · current · charge · pop · can · nail · shower

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — happening now
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — music
  14. current — of water
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — on a finger

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