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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · staff · pit · snap · dip · band · charge · mine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. band — a ring
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — to sink
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pop — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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