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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: pass · fan · march · charge · season · plane · bat · race

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. race — a contest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — the arms race

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