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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: spell · rule · race · tube · shower · charge · jam · track

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tube — the underground
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — electricity
  9. track — a song
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — a path
  14. charge — a price
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spell — letters
  18. race — the arms race
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — a contest

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