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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.

Words on the sheet
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: charge · arm · root · race · scale · tube · game · face

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — the cause
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a word
  24. scale — size or range

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