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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: charge · shower · cap · bowl · mark · mouse · bulb · field

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — a price
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. field — for sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cap — a hat

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