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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 116 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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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 · racket · fine · wake · charge · stick · cabinet · bowl

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — a price
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — humankind
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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