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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. charge — in control
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — to go on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a ring
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. last — final
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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