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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: arm · ball · scale · pit · race · mark · trunk · pound

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. race — the arms race
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — a contest

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