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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 116 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: pop · object · race · charge · pass · mate · field · mug

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pop — soda
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — in control
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — electricity
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. object — an aim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. race — humankind
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — a contest
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — farmland
  22. pop — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a face

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