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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pop — music
  18. march — the month

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