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

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — obliged
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — steady
  21. charge — in control
  22. firm — a company
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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