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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 120 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: dip · firm · rock · ground · charge · content · pop · cap

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — a position
  4. pop — music
  5. content — happy
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a lid
  8. charge — electricity
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cap — a hat
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — a stone

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