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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: bat · race · degree · pass · charge · chip · cue · bulb

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — for betting
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — for pool
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. cue — a signal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  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