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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.

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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: pop · mug · charge · bat · chair · can · snap · board

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. charge — a price
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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