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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: bass · ground · cell · season · mouse · bear · shower · charge

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ground — a position
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ground — crushed
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — to wash
  21. season — of the year
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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