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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: racket · race · bound · date · game · pass · pop · charge

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. race — humankind
  14. pass — a permit
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — soda

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