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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 116 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: bear · charge · bat · bay · stem · firm · court · shower

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. firm — decided
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — of a king
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. firm — a company
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of law
  23. shower — rain
  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