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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 120 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 · pit · tube · charge · club · row · race · prune

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — a group
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — to trim
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — in control
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pit — in a race
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — a hole
  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