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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. charge — electricity

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