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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: scale · mug · bank · bound · race · fall · charge · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — certain
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — a contest
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. charge — in control
  14. fall — the season
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. race — humankind
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — to rob

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