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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: bowl · spring · firm · shower · present · track · charge · mark

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. shower — to wash
  3. spring — a coil
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. firm — a company
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — a price
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. charge — in control
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — rain
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — a path
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — a grade
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — a dish

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