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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: pop · bat · foot · key · band · jam · shower · charge

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. key — the most important part
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — to visit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. charge — in control
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. key — for a lock

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