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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.

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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — a position
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — a big deal

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