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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: dip · bay · track · chip · racket · charge · plane · pop

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — a path
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — soda
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. plane — a tool

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