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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · leaves · charge · march · race · foot · mark · cue

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. race — the arms race
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. race — humankind
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cue — for pool
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — electricity

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