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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: rest · pit · mark · march · charge · race · saw · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — tied together
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rest — a break
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. pit — in a race

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