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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: season · track · bulb · charge · object · trunk · race · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. toast — bread
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — electricity
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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