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

Word bank: bank · mouse · row · safe · club · tube · charge · race

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — for dancing
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — a container
  19. bank — of a river
  20. club — a group
  21. race — humankind
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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