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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 116 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: charge · can · saw · wake · spring · pit · mark · pop

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — music
  9. spring — the season
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — soda
  24. saw — the tool

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