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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: race · game · tube · content · suit · rash · bay · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — in control
  5. suit — in cards
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. suit — clothes
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — a container

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