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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: club · mate · hand · rash · bay · race · saw · charge

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. race — humankind
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — a price
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rash — hasty
  20. club — for dancing
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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