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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 120 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: charge · shower · pop · current · court · foot · perch · track

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. foot — a measure
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. court — of law
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — soda
  12. court — for sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — a price
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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