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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: charge · bulb · temple · season · pitcher · sharp · root · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — a contest
  14. season — in sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitcher — a jug

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