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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: race · jam · staff · board · band · mouse · pass · charge

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a music group
  17. race — humankind
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — a permit
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a ring
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — electricity
  24. jam — in traffic

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