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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: clip · staff · tube · bulb · racket · race · charge · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — to cut
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. staff — a stick
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — a video
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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