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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: race · bulb · bat · saw · cue · toast · rash · charge

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — hasty
  5. charge — in control
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — bread
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — a contest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a hint

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