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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: rest · charge · ball · mark · race · game · bass · ground

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. charge — in control
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — humankind

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