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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: dip · toast · pop · pitch · wave · sharp · charge · current

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. current — of water
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — completely
  15. current — happening now
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. toast — bread
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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