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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: pit · bulb · staff · charge · board · pop · race · straw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — a stick
  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