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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: bound · bear · shower · wake · pitcher · bore · charge · bass

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bound — certain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bass — low music

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