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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · roll · wound · shower · pound · date · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — a line
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. key — the most important part
  10. roll — a cake
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — rain
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — the fruit
  20. roll — a list
  21. shower — to wash
  22. row — to paddle
  23. key — for a lock
  24. row — a quarrel

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