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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. race — a contest
  4. fall — the season
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a path
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — the cause
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rash — a series

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