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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: bowl · shower · pop · plane · net · wake · mark · charge

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — soda
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — a price
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — electricity
  23. shower — to wash
  24. net — for catching

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