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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: pound · bound · march · face · cabinet · race · foot · can

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — the arms race
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — a weight
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to confront
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. race — humankind
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — to hit hard

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