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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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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 · deal · jam · cap · charge · bore · bulb · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — a contest
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. jam — in traffic
  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