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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: pitch · fan · rush · cap · tear · charge · bound · current

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — happening now
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitch — completely
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — in control
  24. bound — tied together

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