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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: club · race · charge · cap · pop · scale · drill · shower

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — humankind
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — a contest
  11. drill — army training
  12. scale — in music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pop — soda
  16. club — for golf
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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