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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · safe · pit · arm · race · tube · march · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tube — the underground
  3. march — music
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. charge — electricity
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. race — humankind
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — a hole
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — a container

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