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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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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: charge · mark · bulb · bark · race · racket · kick · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — a trace
  5. march — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — the month
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — a contest
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — a price

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