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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: race · craft · charge · branch · date · march · tube · can

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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 — the arms race
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — to be able to
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. march — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — a container
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — a contest
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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