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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: staff · date · pitcher · shower · ground · bass · charge · leaves

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ground — a position
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — crushed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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