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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — a price
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — electricity
  12. march — music
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — letters
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ground — a position

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