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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: mug · cold · squash · charge · track · key · race · wave

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cold — not warm
  4. race — a contest
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a song
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — a path
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. race — humankind
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mug — to rob
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — a face
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — in music

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