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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 · racket · straw · shower · pass · land · bear · rule

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — rain
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rule — a law
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — to wash

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