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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · ground · race · chair · charge · track · bass · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. charge — in control
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — to keep track
  17. race — humankind
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ground — a position
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bass — low music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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