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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — the season
  8. race — a contest
  9. spring — of water
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. race — humankind
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — in control
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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