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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: snap · pop · net · cap · jam · coach · mine · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. cap — of ice
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pop — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — a price
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — in sport
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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