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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: rock · mate · pound · charge · race · key · pitcher · pass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — a contest
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. charge — a price
  17. pound — a weight
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. pound — for dogs

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