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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 116 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: game · hide · charge · press · fine · track · cold · pop

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cold — an illness
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pop — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. press — to push
  14. cold — not warm
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — a price
  19. pop — soda
  20. game — a match
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — high quality

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