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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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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: saw · pound · pitcher · land · firm · charge · nail · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pound — a weight
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — a company
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — a price
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — decided

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