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

Word bank: race · pound · pop · toast · cap · charge · band · racket

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — to visit
  4. charge — in control
  5. pop — music
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cap — a lid
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a hat
  19. toast — bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. race — the arms race

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