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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
468
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: bowl · date · spring · charge · bat · shower · key · racket

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — rain
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — the fruit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — for baseball

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