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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: key · shower · pitch · cell · charge · ground · craft · nail

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — a price
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — crushed
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — a position
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — the most important part
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — completely
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — in a prison

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