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

Word bank: wind · race · charge · stick · net · bay

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. race — a contest
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — the arms race
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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