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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. current — happening now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — music
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to sink
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cap — a hat

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