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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 · shower · bay · pop · current · pitch · rash · perch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — hasty
  6. shower — rain
  7. pop — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. charge — a price
  10. pop — soda
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. perch — the fish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — completely

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