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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: shower · club · bulb · dip · arm · charge · ground · key

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. club — for dancing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — for light
  14. shower — rain
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. key — for a lock
  19. club — a group
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — part of the body

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