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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 · game · dip · coach · charge · wax · firm · file

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. race — the arms race
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — steady
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — decided
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — in control
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — electricity
  24. coach — a trainer

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