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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: deal · scale · rash · leaves · charge · shower · content · pitcher

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — size or range
  10. shower — rain
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — hasty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — a series

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