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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 120 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
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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 · degree · rash · bulb · race · charge · current · object

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — a price
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. rash — a series
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mate — a partner
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — the arms race
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — humankind
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — to protest

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