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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · cap · pop · game · pit · charge

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole

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