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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · game · sharp · cold · can · rash · present · charge

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rash — hasty
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. game — wild animals
  17. charge — in control
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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