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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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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — humankind
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — money
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — a face
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — for money

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