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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 120 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: pop · rash · wind · court · charge · bass · shower · calf

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. charge — in control
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — hasty
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — for sport

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