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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: net · mark · kid · shower · pass · roll · bank · charge

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. charge — in control
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a list
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. shower — rain
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. roll — a cake
  24. kid — child

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