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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: pass · cold · date · branch · race · stand · swing · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. date — the fruit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cold — not warm
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — a division
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. charge — a price
  21. swing — to play on
  22. race — a contest
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. charge — electricity

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