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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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468
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: toast · charge · pitcher · bulb · pass · lie · rash · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a match
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — in control
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — a price
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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