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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 · object · charge · jam · dip · racket · hand · row

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a line
  7. shower — rain
  8. object — an aim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. shower — to wash
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hand — help
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. row — to paddle
  24. charge — electricity

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