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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: leaves · charge · sharp · firm · game · race · wake · scale

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — steady
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. scale — size or range
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — a company
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — clever
  20. game — wild animals
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — in control
  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