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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
468
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: shower · pitch · race · stand · craft · tube · charge · season

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a skill
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — rain
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — the arms race
  20. season — of the year
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. craft — boats

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