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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. pop — soda
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. charge — a price
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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