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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: cue · shower · deal · pound · squash · charge · bulb · march

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — to wash
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — for pool
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — rain
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cue — a signal

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