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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: mate · drill · rest · suit · race · swing · charge · ball

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — a contest
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. charge — a price
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — the arms race
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — clothes

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