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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · fine · content · charge · shower · net · track · leaves

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — for catching
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. track — a song
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — after costs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — rain
  23. content — the amount
  24. date — on the calendar

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