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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 116 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: mug · bowl · charge · wake · mark · mouse · race · swing

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — in control
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mug — a cup
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a grade

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