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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · plane · ball · shower · bass · charge · foot · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. court — for sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — a price
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — a path
  24. bass — the fish

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