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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: pound · can · arm · date · race · march · chest · current

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — happening now
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. current — of water
  18. chest — of your body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. race — humankind
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. date — on the calendar

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