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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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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 · bound · pit · charge · firm · pound · mug · court

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — decided
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. court — for sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — to wash
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — a hole
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — certain
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — to rob
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pit — in a race
  24. charge — in control

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