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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: ball · bulb · charge · stand · bore · pitcher · net · race

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a great time
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — in sport
  15. race — humankind
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. net — for catching
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. net — after costs

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