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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — of ice
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. snap — to click
  8. race — a contest
  9. pop — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — to come down
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — a price
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pop — to visit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pound — a weight

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