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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: charge · bay · degree · shower · bank · object · racket · hand

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — to protest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. degree — temperature
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — a thing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — in control
  24. degree — from a university

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