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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: squash · pop · lean · fall · charge · cue · cap · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — of ice
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a song
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lean — thin
  23. pop — music
  24. lean — to rest against

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