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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stem · dip · charge · mark · cue · jam · race

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mark — a grade
  6. race — a contest
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — in sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — for pool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mark — a trace

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