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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 · bore · rule · bulb · dip · chip · charge · bowl

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. charge — electricity
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — a law
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — humankind
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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