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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 116 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 · bear · fine · shower · bass · charge · wake · board

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — in control
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fine — high quality

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