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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 120 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: snap · charge · leaves · pit · field · rush · race · bass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — low music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. field — for sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. charge — electricity
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. pit — in a 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