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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — in control
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — electricity
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a path
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bowl — a football final

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