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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — the arms race
  4. charge — in control
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — a contest
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. mark — to pay attention

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