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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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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cap — of ice
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — a tin

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