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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wake — a trail
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. race — the arms race
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. race — humankind

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