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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. charge — a price
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — to visit
  19. object — to protest
  20. ground — a position
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pop — soda
  24. season — in sport

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