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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — soda
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fan — a supporter

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