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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: current · court · shower · pitcher · tear · pound · charge · deal

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. current — of water
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. current — happening now
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pound — a weight
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. charge — electricity
  24. current — electric

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