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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: race · toast · foot · rest · spring · charge · march · jam

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spring — of water
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. charge — electricity
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — a break
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. race — the arms race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. charge — a price
  24. toast — bread

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