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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: cap · pitch · bore · track · charge · bank · dip · sharp

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — a song
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — exactly

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